Cooperative+Learning

Read & Reflect
//What is my purpose for using cooperative learning in the classroom? //
 * Students learn as much from each other as they do from the teacher -- especially adult students. Cooperative learning strategies promote this exchange and bring about social learning. Bandura's Social Learning Theory ( [] ) suggests that we learn from observing and interacting with others on a daily basis. Teachers who include Coop Learning strategies bring about this dynamic.

//What kind of cooperative learning activities do I use with my students? //
 *  Students: small group work, peer editing. review, team challenges, etc.
 * Teachers: grade level projects, team project for professional growth plans,

//I can think of a time when I used cooperative learning and I was pleased with the results. Why did it work well? //
 * The project worked well because there were clearly communicated goals for the project, when everyone’s role/responsibilities is clearly understood and when there is "buy in" from the participants so they work together. The latter is sometime difficult to bring about.

//I can think of a time when I used cooperative learning and I was not pleased with the results. Why did it not work well? //
 *  I've been involved with MANY group projects from hell! everyone wanted to be the leader an no one was willing to do the work. People did not follow through on their responsibility, or they just didn't get along. The personal dynamic is always the hardest part.

//What questions do I have about using cooperative learning in my classroom? //

I’d like to learn how to make them more efficient. Coop learning strategies take longer. When you are pressured to keep moving, rich, effective group projects slow things down.

Apply & Reflect
My group used Google Forms to create a survey for teachers to determine their professional development skills related to technology. It was a great experience. Goggle Docs is a wonderful tool and forms was a little tricky to get started, but once it was going, it was easy and efficient. The collaboration features allowed my team members to divide the work and complete the task. Our survey can be found here:

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